New bridal boutique Something White opens in Independence

Today's brides are all flashy sequins and strapless gowns that can barely contain heaving bosoms, right? And Independence is nothing more than Rockside Road, a traffic-choked, fast-food-chain-store throughway, right? Something White is hoping to change the perception of both. This new bridal boutique, which opened in June, represents a new concept for the region. Rather than hushed, don't-touch elegance, Something White offers brides-to-be an environment of sophisticated whimsy and contemporary romance. The charmingly renovated shop is located on two floors of a historic building near the town square of Independence, which seems a world away from Rockside Road rather than just a mile or two.

"We wanted to offer simple, beautiful dresses, the sort of place a friend of ours says is 'for the people who can't find anything anywhere else,' " explains Rebecca Somnitz, co-owner of the shop along with Karin Kurtz. "And we wanted to be in the middle –- there are bridal options on the East Side and the West Side, but there's nothing around here." Kurtz and Somnitz, both 28, know Independence intimately, as they grew up there. The women, along with Somnitz's husband, returned from Chicago this spring so that they could open the shop.

"We didn't want to put down roots in Chicago, we always wanted to come home," explains Kurtz. "We think more people should know how special Independence is. Admittedly, too, bridal is destination shopping, and is not that reliant on foot traffic."

Indeed, brides should be streaming in from the east and the west in addition to the middle when word spreads about the artful collection of dresses available at Something White.

Brides who have dog-eared dozens of Martha Stewart Weddings magazines will feel right at home here. They can choose from a well-edited selection of dresses with clean lines and beautiful fabrics, where embellishments are limited to origami-like pleats and folds rather than scattered sequins and explosions of tulle.

The designers include Fancy New York, Steven Birnbaum, Vineyard by Priscilla of Boston and Caroline DeVillo Couture, a designer living and working in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. The biggest diamond in their tiara may be Lela Rose, a contemporary designer known for her whimsical femininity and exacting construction -- Something White is one of only 17 shops in the country to carry her bridal line.

"We saw a niche in the market, for dresses that aren't strapless, that aren't covered with sequins and rhinestones and loads of flounces," says Somnitz. "We wanted quality cuts and quality fabrics, but we also didn't want them to be totally, ridiculously expensive."

Dresses at Something White range in price from $1,100 to $5,500, with most of the options firmly in the middle. But because Somnitz and Kurtz are working with several small couture designers, certain dresses could be special-ordered in less-expensive fabrics, bringing costs down to under four figures.

"We're a bridal boutique, so we wanted to work with bridal designers, not just large, established companies," says Kurtz. "An independent designer working out of her apartment has a lot more flexibility in terms of offering customization and quicker turn-arounds."

Caroline DeVillo Couture offers an excellent example of the benefits of cultivating smaller designers. The women were able to spend a significant amount of time with DeVillo in her Chicago apartment, learning firsthand all the intricate work that goes into the typical wedding dress. This close relationship with the designer means Something White clients can choose from a selection of bodices and skirts to choose their most flattering silhouettes then choose their fabric and sash colors to create truly custom gowns.

Bridesmaids aren't left at the altar at Something White; there's a large selection of cocktail-length gowns by Dessy and Alfred Sung to choose from.

Rounding out the offerings are veils, jewelry and hair ornaments, most of which also come from independent designers and as such can usually be customized.

"There's a lot about the industry that we don't like, practices and behaviors that actually create tons of stress -- and we want to take stress away from brides," says Somnitz.

"We had a bride come in a few weeks ago, completely stressed out, and she asked, 'I'm getting married in October, is there anything I can still do?' And we said. 'You can do A LOT. But first, just calm down.' "

"This should be a really happy time of your life," adds Kurtz. "We get really excited about weddings around here!"

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